Foot measuring and impression device



May 7, l935- w. M. scHoLL l 2,000,256`

FOOT MEASURING AND IMPRESSION DEVICE Filed Aug. 26, 1935 film/zzz@ i' Patented May 7, 1935 UNIT-ED STAT es 2,000,250'Y FOOT MEASUBING AND DEVICE maassroivf.

William Scholl, Chicago, IILfasSIgnor to The Y `Scholl Mfg. Co., Inc., Chicago,;Illt.a corpora" tion of New York VMy invention relates to foot measuring and impression devices and is concerned more particularly with providing a unitary and easily transportable apparatus that may be used either V to make accurate determinations of the length and width of a human foot, or to take foot impressions that provide information respecting the conguration of the foot as well as its size.

In the tting of footwear, the selection of the proper shoe for any particular person should be based upon accurate informationrespecting the'v foot and this knowledge should not only include data on the length and'width of the foot, but

alsoprecise information regarding any abnormalities thereof, such as may b e produced by fallen arches, enlarged joints, callouses, and like ailments. Devices arenow in use for determim-` ing foot widths and lengths, andthere areother devicesA for taking impressionsof the foot by pressing the latter against an ink-carrying member which in turn pressesagainst a sheet of papen; so Athat a shoeV retailer, for example, is

required to have one of each kind to'provide eili-Y cient shoe tting. Moreover,V in many cases, the nature ofthe construction of present footim.-v pression devices is such that considerable pressure of the footis required in order to make'an intelligible impression. The securementof` this adequate `pressure is frequently quite dimcult, particularly Wherethe person has weakfeet or legs, or. in the case of a child, so that it -is important to provide an impression device which requiresa minimum of Vpressure in the obtaining ofV proper impression. l

It is therefore the Yprincipal object of my invention to provide a single apparatus which possesses thev Vcapacity both for ascertainingyfooty lengths` rand widths and` also for taking'eiiicient foot impressions. l k, y A further object is to Yprovide anapparatus of the vcharacter indicated in whichV those members. which contact the foot to determine-its-1ength and Width are also utilizedl to position an impression-receiving member, suclr as a sheet Yof paper. Y V

A further object is to provide a foot vimpression device in which the ink-carryingmember, usually a sheet of rubber, is secured at oneend to and rwrapped around a roll, the sheet being capacitated for movement over and spaced sufficientlyclose to the sheet of paper Vwhich receives the impression to require only a vslight pressure of the foot for making an adequate impression. V A further object isto devise a foot impression i device-in which thefrubberA apron l. is Wrapped around av springretracted roll, the free ends of the apron,A being secured to a bail whosefarrns are pivotallymountedbn the frframe in such a position thatwhen the apron ,is bin ,position to make` an impression, the baiLis located` below itsl :`5

pivot and tlfieapronV is therefgleheldin operative .position by the retracting actiQnof thefspri'ng l inthe rolLj f. These and urtherobjects--of my invention will be set forth in the following specification, refer- 10 ence `being had kto thev accompanying drawing, and the novelfmeansby which saidA objects,A are eiectuated willi-be definitely pointed loutnin Athe claims.` y f In A*che,draivilisr -0 y f. Figurer 1,., is agplangview, partly in section, of my improved.A foot" measuringsand impression device, the rubber` apron being shown wrapped aroundjl-its-roll to thereby, expose-the base o f the device land theffjootontacting members which determine vthefoot and width measure-I ments'of the 190i; Y- A L 2'isfasetionalong theline, ,2 2 inFig. l, looking in the directionof the arrows, "showing,

the'y several parts in position to measure Ythe 25k lensthand iwidth 0f afoot ,Y 4

Fig. 3 isa; 'sectionfsimilarto Fig. 2,but y showing thefrubber apron extended over ra pad of rapen fer example, and a .foot pressing against the apron yto make the impression.

I *ReferringV to theY drawing, the numeral I0 designateswthe yprincipal frameof the device which `comprises a-base Il. having upstanding side wallsgIZ and .endwalls I3 and 'Il, the base and walls forming generally aA foot receiving receptacletk A. pairvl of ,normally disposed slots I5 and I6, are provided inv, the base II, the slot I5` extending generally lengthwise of the base and the ,slot -IG transversely thereof.

, Foot contacting members I1 and 4.It are guidably mounted the slots I5 and I6, respectively, andthesemembers areA actuated by a mechanismgnot shown) that iis-locatedr in a chamberY ISibeneaththe Abase -II mecha,-` nism is controlled by a 'handle 20 that projects through theqside walls I2. The arrangement of this mechanism issubstantiallyas disclosed in the patent toCobb et al., No. 1,792,892, dated February 17,193,1,for afoot measuring implement. VThe specic details of this mechanism form no -part of the presentrinvention and reference maybe had to Vthe aforesaid Cobb vpatent forthe essential features thereof, itbeing understoodfor the purpose of the present applicationthat the members I1 `and I8inay be overlie the respective members when it is desired to take an impression of the foot, as illus-A trated generally in Fig. 3f.

Foot measurements, as determind'b'y the members I1 and I8, may be exhibited on ,suitably calibrated dials 23 and 24,1allas moreparticularly explained in the aforesaid VCobb patent. v

" cupy the upward positions shown in Fig. 2.

The end walls I3 and I4 are extended beyond the base II -to form: barckets 25 andi-26, respectively, and an axle21' is bridgedrbetween these brackets and held against rotation therein. A-Uroll28 is revolubly supported-'upon the axle 21 and is providedon its-periphery with an inkingfsurfacefsuch as a silk covered felt pad 29, a characteristioroll construction being dis.v y

closed in the patent toV Rosino, No. 1,225,500', dated May"8,1917, fora Vdevice fortaking foot impressions. f

An ink carrying'fmember, suchas a Arubber apron 30is' wrapped" around the roll 28 and extended beneath' a guid roll 3| which is rotatably supported between the brackets 25 and 26. Beyond the roll 3l, the free' end of 'the apron 30 vis secured to a bail 32 whose arms 'arefurtherdextendedtowards the wall I2 for insertion through suitableapertures provided in ears 33 and 3lI,-/that` extend upwardly fromthe end walls I 3 and I4,jrespectively. The bail32 is accordinglypivotally supported onQthese end walls and, as clearly shown in'Fig.f-2, the'bail pivots are preferablyV slightly disposedabove thez guide roller '3I vfor a purpose presentlyl explained. In order` to provide "for convenient actuation of the apron-30, a finger loop 351i's secured thereto around the'bail 32.

A bore Y36 extends inwardlyfrom one endof the roll 28 and is concentrically disposed with reference to vthe axle21 for the purpose' ofV receivingfa coil spring 31, one `end of the spring being secured to the axle and the-other end to the roll. These parts are 'so arranged that the spring serves to maintain'the apronrinV the retracted position shown in Fig. 1." Y In the commercial form Yof Vthe device, a cover 38 preferably encloses vthe roll 2li` and is supported atV its-ends on thel brackets 25'and '26.A In order to provide foran evenl distribution of the ink -which is transferred to fthe apron by the ink pad, a distributing iin '39 is employed which contacts with the undersideofthe apron as it leaves the roll, as clearly shownin Fig. 2,:

and this iin is mounted inthe strip 4I)V which each other, the right arm of the bail, as viewed in Fig. 1, passing through the slot 42 during this movement.

' As already indicated, my improved device may be used to either ascertain the length and width measurements of a foot, or to make irnpressions thereof on a suitable impression receiving means. Assuming that it is rst required to simply measure Ythe length and width, the foot contacting members I1 .and I8 may be moved to their outermost position by means of the handle `20, as described more particularly in the .aforesaid Cobb patent, after which the foot is Vrested on the base IIwith the heel thereof contactingthe plate Gland one side of the foot touching the side wall I2. The members I1 and I8 arev then moved toward the foot by the handle 20luntilcontact is established, it being understood thatrthe hinged members 2I and 22 oc- When the members contact with the foot, suitable. readings may be had from the dials 23 and 24v and the membersmay then be retracted to the positions shown in Fig. l.

In takingl a foot impression, a suitable impression receivingk member, such as the pad of paper 43, is rested on the base II with an end and one side thereof contacting with the heel platel'lll and the side wall I2. The remaining end and side Iof this padm'ay then be contacted by the members I1 and I8 in order to definitely position the padf'andf retain the same in this fixed position.'4 Thereafter, the apron 3i! is moved over the padf43 vby pulling on the finger loop 35,1this action swinging the bail from the position shownin'Fig. 2 tothat illustratedfin Fig. 3f In the latter position, it will be particularly noted that, not only is the apron disposed a`relatively small distance above the surface of the pad, butthe apron is held in this position by the retracting effort of the spring 31 because of 'l the "over-center position of the bail. f f f The foot may then be pressed against the apron and theniagainstthe pad 43 and those parts of the apron to which pressure is applied will'effect an ink transfer to the pad. The impression so made will be somewhat shadowy inv appearance and will thereby indicate abnormalitiesof the foot because those parts which probe effectively ascertained and a proper decisio made regarding the style of footwear. v

The provision `of spacing the apron just slightly above the upper 'surface of the pad 43 is anim'portant feature 'of this invention, be cause it substantially lessens kthe amount of pressure required to effect an adequate impression,'owing to the shorty distance through which it is necessary to displace the apron. This operating advantage is further enhanced because of the location ofthe guide roller 3| which is preferably disposed so as to obtain a parallel disposition of the apron 'with reference to the top surfacev of the pad 43. By requiring a minimum of foot pressure to obtainan efficient impression, it is possible for a person with weak feet or legs, or children, to use this device and still obtain impressions which are intelligible to the fitter of shoewear.

I claim: f

l. A foot impression device comprising a foot receiving receptacle having a base for supportfil bail being swung below the pivots and to be held in operative position over the base by the pull of the spring means, and a guide roller under which the member is drawn for directing the same into substantially paralled relation to and at a relatively small distance above the impression means.

2. A foot impression device comprising a foot receiving receptacle having a base provided with upstanding end Walls, a rolled Ynlling member mounted on the end walls and adapted to be unwound for movement over the base, spring means for normally maintaining the member in Wound position, a bail `secured to the free end of the member and having its ends extended through Vapertures in the end walls for pivotal mounting thereon, and a heel plate spaced from one end wall and having an open-,ended slot in substantial registration with one of said apertures, to permit a withdrawal 'of the adjacent bail arm from the aperture through the slot When the bail is disengaged from the end Wall, the plate serving as a stop for the heel during the taking of an impression and shielding the heel from the adjacent bail arm.

3. A foot impression device comprising a foot receiving receptacle having a base provided with upstanding end walls, a rolled inking memberA mounted on the end Walls and adapted to be unwound for movement over the base, spring means for normally maintaining the member in wound position, a bail securedto the free end of the member and having its ends extended through apertures in the end Walls for pivotal mounting thereon, and a heel plate spaced from one end Wall to serve as a stop for the heel during the taking of an impression and shielding the heel from the adjacent bail arm.

4. A combination device for taking measure-4 ments and impressions of the foot comprising a base for supporting an impression-receiving means and provided with an upstanding end and v side Wall for contacting one end and one side of the foot, respectively, length and Width members shiftable across the base to contact with Y the opposite end and side of the foot, respectively, and to position the impression-receiving means against the end and side wall, and an ink carrying member movable over the impressionreceiving means and adapted to be pressed .thereagainst by the foot.

WILLIAM M. SCHOLL. 

